.. _zend.form.element.date:

Zend\\Form\\Element\\Date
=========================

The ``Date`` element is meant to be paired with the ``Zend/Form/View/Helper/FormDate`` for `HTML5 inputs with type
date`_. This element adds filters and validators to it's input filter specification in order to validate HTML5 date
input values on the server.

.. _zend.form.element.date.usage:

.. rubric:: Basic Usage of Zend\\Form\\Element\\Date

This element automatically adds a ``"type"`` attribute of value ``"date"``.

.. code-block:: php
   :linenos:

   use Zend\Form\Element;
   use Zend\Form\Form;

   $date = new Element\Date('appointment-date');
   $date
       ->setLabel('Appointment Date')
       ->setAttributes(array(
           'min'  => '2012-01-01',
           'max'  => '2020-01-01',
           'step' => '1', // days; default step interval is 1 day
       ));

   $form = new Form('my-form');
   $form->add($date);

.. note::

   Note: the ``min``, ``max``, and ``step`` attributes should be set prior to calling Zend\\Form::prepare().
   Otherwise, the default input specification for the element may not contain the correct validation rules.

.. _zend.form.element.date.methods:

Available Methods
-----------------

The following methods are in addition to the inherited :ref:`methods of Zend\\Form\\Element\\DateTime
<zend.form.element.date-time.methods>`.

.. _zend.form.element.date.methods.get-input-specification:

**getInputSpecification**
   ``getInputSpecification()``

   Returns a input filter specification, which includes ``Zend\Filter\StringTrim`` and will add the appropriate
   validators based on the values from the ``min``, ``max``, and ``step`` attributes. See
   :ref:`getInputSpecification in Zend\\Form\\Element\\DateTime
   <zend.form.element.date-time.methods.get-input-specification>` for more information.

   One difference from ``Zend\Form\Element\DateTime`` is that the ``Zend\Validator\DateStep`` validator will expect
   the ``step`` attribute to use an interval of days (default is 1 day).

   Returns array



.. _`HTML5 inputs with type date`: http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/states-of-the-type-attribute.html#date-state-(type=date)